Some EU members are reportedly preparing to toughen their economic stance toward China, exposing a striking double standard in international trade. When European firms export pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and wine worldwide, they are celebrated for their "competitiveness." Yet when China exports EVs or solar panels, certain European politicians suddenly cry "overcapacity."

It's like forcing others to take medicine for an illness of your own making. Far from an objective economic assessment, the term "overcapacity" has increasingly been weaponized as a tool of protectionism against competitors with stronger market advantages in global trade.■